S O O L O O. 363 



and cries they put great reliance, and consult them in war or on any 

 particular expedition. For this purpose they draw numbers of them 

 together, and feed them by scattering rice about. It is said their 

 priests consult their entrails also on particular occasions, to endeavour 

 to look into future events. 



In the performance of their engagements and oaths, they are most 

 scrupulous. They seem to have some idea of a future life, and that 

 on the road to their elysium they have to pass over a long tree, which 

 requires the assistance of all those they have slain in this world. 

 The abode of happy spirits is supposed to be on the top of Kini Balu, 

 one of their loftiest mountains, and the portals are guarded by a fiery 

 serpent, who does not suffer any virgin to pass into the celestial 

 paradise. 



Polygamy does not exist among them, but they have as concubines 

 slaves, who are captured in their wars or rather predatory expeditions. 

 If a wife proves unfaithful to her husband, he kills several of his 

 slaves, or inflicts upon her many blows, and a divorce may be effected 

 by the husband paying her a certain price, and giving up her clothes 

 and ornaments, after which he is at liberty to marry another. The 

 women, however, exercise an extraordinary influence over the men. 



But of all their peculiar traits, there is none more strange than the 

 passion they seem to indulge for collecting human heads. These are 

 necessary accompaniments in many transactions of their lives, par- 

 ticularly in their marriages, and no one can marry unless he has a 

 certain number of heads ; indeed, those who cannot obtain these are 

 looked upon with disdain by the females. A young man wishing to 

 wed, and making application to marry her for whom he has formed 

 an attachment, repairs with the girl's father to the rajah or chief, who 

 immediately inquires respecting the number of heads he has procured, 

 and generally decides that he ought to obtain one or two more, ac- 

 cording to his age, and the number the girl's father may have pro- 

 cured, before he can be accepted. He at once takes his canoe and 

 some trusty followers, and departs on his bloody errand, waylaying 

 the unsuspecting or surprising the defenceless, whose head he imme- 

 diately cuts off, and then makes a hurried retreat. With this he 

 repairs to the dwelling of his mistress, or sends intelligence of his 

 success before him. On his arrival, he is met by a joyous group of 

 females, who receive him with every demonstration of joy, and gladly 

 accept his ghastly offering. 



Various barbarous ceremonies now take place, among which the 

 heads undergo inspection to ascertain if they are fresh ; and, in order 

 to prove this, none of the brain must be removed, nor must they have 



